The L96 engine is a 6.0L Gen. 4 small block engine used in GM trucks and SUVs from 2010 to 2017. It replaced the LY6 and added Flex Fuel capability.
For marketing purposes, it was also known as the Vortec 6000. The engine specs and information listed here is for a stock L96 engine.
Mechanically similar, General Motors’ LS and LS-based Vortec engines wound up on almost every branch of the GM family tree: Chevy, Pontiac, GMC, Cadillac, Buick—heck, even Saab, Hummer, and Isuzu got some LS love.
Since LS and Vortec engines are so common, they’ve become the go-to performance and swap engines of the modern era.
These motors are capable of making a lot of horsepower, and respond well to upgrades like turbos, superchargers, high-flow cylinder heads, intake systems, cams, and nitrous oxide.
[Looking to upgrade your L96 engine? Check out L96 6.0L Engine Upgrade Guide: Expert Advice for L96 Mods to Maximize Performance.]
The aftermarket is strong, crate engines are available, and used motors are often cheaply sourced through junkyards.
Summit Racing has created a series of comprehensive guides for each engine in the LS family, so engine builders and tuners can have a handy reference for their projects.
This specific guide is for the GM L96 6.0L engine.
You can find more LS engine spec guides and LS-related information here.
(Summit Racing’s Paul Spurlock and Brian Nutter contributed to this article.)
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L96 6.0L Engine Specs
L96 Performance Specifications
| L96 Engine Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Compression Ratio | 9.6:1 |
| Horsepower Rating | 360 hp |
| Torque Rating | 380 ft.-lbs. |
L96 Applications
| L96 Applications | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| VIN 8th Digit | Year | Make | Model |
| G | 2010-17 | Chevrolet | Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD |
| G | 2010-17 | GMC | Sierra 2500 HD, 3500 HD |
| G | 2010-17 | Chevrolet | Express 2500, 3500 |
| G | 2010-17 | GMC | Savana 2500, 3500 |
| G | 2010-13 | GMC | Yukon XL 2500 |
| G | 2010-13 | Chevrolet | Suburban 2500 |
| G | 2016-17 | Chevrolet | Suburban 3500 HD |
L96 Engine Block Specs
| L96 Block Specs | |
|---|---|
| Casting Number | 12576181 |
| Material | Iron |
| Displacement | 6.0L / 364 c.i.d. |
| Bore Dia. | 4.000 in. |
| Stroke | 3.622 in. |
| Deck Height | 9.240 in. |
| Bore Spacing | 4.400 in. |
| Thrust Bearing Location | #3 Main |
| Main Cap Style | 6-Bolt |
| Main Housing Bore Dia. | 2.751 in. |
| Cam Housing Bore Dia. | Bore 1/5 = 2.346 in. Bore 2/4 = 2.326 in. Bore 3 = 2.307 in. |
| Cam-to-Crank Centerline | 4.914 in. |
L96 Rotating Assembly
| L96 Rotating Assembly Specs | |
|---|---|
| Piston Material | Hypereutectic Cast Aluminum Alloy |
| Piston Style | Dished with valve reliefs |
| Piston Volume | +6.7cc |
| Wrist Pin Dia. | 0.9431 in. (Full Floating) |
| Connecting Rod Material | Powdered Metal |
| Connecting Rod Style | I-Beam |
| Connecting Rod Length | 6.098 in. |
| Connecting Rod Housing Bore | 2.225 in. |
| Connecting Rod Bolts | M9 x 1 x 43 |
| Connecting Rod Part Number | 12649190 |
| Crankshaft Material | Cast Iron |
| Crankshaft Casting Number (Last 3 Digits) | 216 |
| Crankshaft Main Journal Dia. | 2.559 in. |
| Crankshaft Rod Journal Dia. | 2.100 in. |
| Reluctor Wheel | 58x |
L96 Cylinder Heads
| L96 Cylinder Head Specs | |
|---|---|
| Casting Numbers | 5364, 823 |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Combustion Chamber Volume | 70cc |
| Intake Port Shape | Rectangle |
| Intake Runner Volume | 257cc |
| Exhaust Port Shape | D-Port |
| Exhaust Runner Volume | 87cc |
| Intake Valve Diameter | 2.165 in. |
| Exhaust Valve Diameter | 1.590 in. |
| Cylinder Head Bolt Style | Torque to Yield (TTY) |
| Cylinder Head Bolt Size | (10) M11 x 2 x 100, (5) M8 x 1.25 x 45 |
L96 Camshaft Specs
| L96 Camshaft Specs | |
|---|---|
| Duration @ .050 in. (int./exh.) | 196°/208° |
| Valve Lift (int./exh.) | 0.467 in./.479 in. |
| Lobe Separation Angle | 116° |
| Cam Gear Attachment | 1-Bolt |
| Cam Gear Poles | 4x |
| Active Fuel Management (AFM) | No |
| Variable Valve Timing (VVT) | Yes |
L96 Valvetrain
| L96 Valvetrain Specs | |
|---|---|
| Lifter Style | Hydraulic Roller |
| Lifter Link Style | Plastic Lifter Tray |
| Lifter Body Diameter | 0.842 in. |
| Pushrod Length | 7.385 in. |
| Rocker Arm Mounting Style | Pedestal |
| Rocker Arm Style | Die-Cast, Roller Fulcrum |
| Rocker Ratio | 1.7 |
| Rocker Offset | Intake Rocker |
| Valve Spring Style | Beehive |
| Valve Spring Color | Natural |
| Valve Angle | 15 Degrees |
| Intake Valve Material | Steel, Solid Stem |
| Intake Valve Dia. | 2.165 in. |
| Exhaust Valve Material | Steel, Solid Stem |
| Exhaust Valve Dia. | 1.590 in. |
Other Key L96 Specs
| L96 Throttle Body, Fuel Injector Specs & More | |
|---|---|
| Intake Manifold | Truck-Style |
| Throttle Body | 87mm, 4-bolt |
| Throttle Control | Electronic, Drive-by-Wire |
| Fuel Injector Part Number | 12613412 |
| Fuel Injector Flow | 50 lb./hr. @ 58 psi |
| Flex Fuel Capable | Yes |
| Fuel Injector Length Between O-Rings | 1.730 in. |
| Fuel Injector Connector | EV6 / USCAR |
| PCM | E38 |
| Crankshaft Reluctor Ring | 58x |
| Camshaft Sensor Location | Front mount, 4x on cam |
| Oil Pan | Deep Rear Sump |
| Oil Pump | Standard Flow (0.96 c.i. per rev.) |
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NOTE: You can find engine specs and detailed engine upgrade advice for every LS and LS-based Vortec truck engine in one place: The Definitive Guide to LS Engine Specs and LS Engine Upgrades.
I have this engine in my 2500hd 4×4. And I love it. Even stock it is a hoss.
Agree. Does not need a thing. Well ok, what can be done to it? Is there a better program, or is it stealing from Peter to pay paul? Cheers.
Added cold intake. Got rid of all the intake muffining. Man it sounds bad. In the good way.
I did a l96 swap in my 58 apache.I switched to a Holley intake and 750 double pumper carb. I am also running a toploader 3 speed behind it. Everything is stock in the engine but im wanting to do a cam swap. Can you suggest a good street/strip cam for my application?
William, going along with your truck engine into a truck application, we would suggest a truck cam. Summit Racing just released their Pro LS Truck cams on July 4.
They are intended to maximize torque and midrange with a strong top end. The Stage 1 truck cam has a noticeable lope and works with stock springs. It makes a ton of power and is good in a daily driver. Not that you have to worry about it running a manual trans, but the Stage 2 cam is about as much as you would want with a stock converter and has a steady lope. The Stage 3 works with a 2500 converter and has a more aggressive lope. The Stage 4 is pretty serious even yet. It works with a 2800 converter and makes power higher in the RPM range.
Stage 1 doesn’t require springs, but Stages 2, 3, and 4 are designed to work with LS6 springs. You can read up on the descriptions and specs a little more by checking out this article.
One thing you mentioned is you’re doing a fair amount of street driving. If your 750 double pumper isn’t driving the way you hoped for, the newer Demon Carburation carbs (made by Holley) are getting good reviews. They have small primaries and extra-large secondaries and people say they run like injection. You could get by with a 625 cfm with your cammed L96, but the electric choke composite bowl 750 is a match for the double pumper. Give Summit Racing a call at 1-800-230-3030 if you have any further questions on any of that to help you make the best choice.
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Hi, I’m looking at this engine as a replacement for a 2007 5.3 in a 4WD Yukon. Flex fuel, iron block. What do you have to do with the VVT? Will it work OK without connectors? Does it default to “cam advanced-low speed torque mode”?
No i camed this engine one of the sensors damaged by mistake and it run horribly you can delete vvt and its become almost ls2 with ls3 heads stock heads its 823 the deference its valves material its great engine for the money only bad thing its pistons if they make it lighter
I did a swap in my 2008 yukon you have to ad the vvt wires and pin it to your ecm then change tune to kill the afm and to run vvt. was a pain in the ass but well worth the headache.
Any specific pin locations used for vvt or did you just pick any unused location?
I did this with a new L96 crate on 2008 Silverado. Had base tune with ECM out of truck and runs like shit. Likely more due to improper guesses on MAP and injector flow than vvt. Used an adapter to connect the cam position sensor to the 5 pin connector on the engine, leaving vvt empty for now.
[…] L96 6.0L Engine Specs: Performance, Bore & Stroke, Cylinder Heads, Cam Specs & More […]
I have a 2011 2500HD Silverado VIN G with the L96 6.0 I bought it with the understanding the head gaskets needed replaced. Turns out the 823 heads were cracked as bad as a dry lake bed, so I found a replacement set. Upon installation I found out the block is cracked just as bad. What blocks will interchange with this one? My motor ran fine, no knocks or rattles just kept getting hot, so my internals are fine. Does it have to be the L96? What’s different? I’m old school and don’t know much about this new crap
Where is it cracked? It is iron and a good machine shop may be able to fix it with a good weld. Then again…
Any 6.0L Block. What makes the l96 different from the LQ4 and LQ9 is the Compression Ratio,Cam, Heads and Tune. So just throw the parts from your L96 into any Iron 6.0L block and itll work
I have a 2016 model l96, how well will it respond to a stage 4 cam swap with a single 78mm turbo and 2800 stall backed by a 6l90e transmission, this setup will be in a 84 c10 truck
I have a 2019 L96 with 297 HP. Can I use this guide or should I be doing something different?
That engine stock has360 hp from the factory.
Pretty sure that’s not possible to only have 297hp as the L96 comes from the factory with 360hp and 380ft/lbs torque. Are you sure it’s a L96?
I have a 2002 1500 HD and I am thinking about the L96 as a fresh replacement motor other than VVT delete, front timing cover, and 58x relucter what else needs attention. I am going to use intake and injectors for early style 02 type. I have timing cover for front cam sensor, ? Crank sensor and knock sensor are there cost effective ways to make this work?
was wondering aBOUT THE 6.0 ENGING IN A 1500 SILVERADO HD 2008 I WILL BE LOOKING AT SOON AND IF I LIKE I AM CONCIDERING BUYING IT. IS THIS PERHAPS ONE OF THE BETTER 6.0’S OR THE ONES WITH WHICH HAVE LATER IN ITS LIFE THE CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS AND OR THE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUPETION?THE OWNER SAID ITS HER DECEASSED HUSBANDS TRUCK AND I KNOW THE FAMILY SO DOUBTING HER STORY IS NOT EVEN CONCIDERED. SHE SAYS HUBBY BOUGHT IT FROM A GM EMPLOYEE WORKING IN A NON UNION JOB SO PROBABLY SOMEONE OF A HIGHER UP TYPE JOB. WAS THIE ENGINE STD OR A SPECIAL ORDERED 6.0? IF IT ALL SEEMS LIKE A GOOD TRUCK WILL I BE GETTING A GOOD COMBINATION BETWEEN TRUCK AN ENGINE?HOW BOUT GAS MILLAGE?HOW MANY HP?REGULAR GAS OR PREMIUM? E C T ALL ADVICE WOULD BE A HELP. I SAW THE TRUCK ON LINE AND IS SUPER STRAIGHT AND CLEAN. THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE ME.IT WILL HAUL A LIL WOOD FOR THE WOOD STOVE EVERY OTHER YEAR AND PULL A PONTOON IN THE SUMMER SEASON BIUT IT.
Does the injectors handle flex fuel detection or do you need the sensor in the fuel line?
The LS96 regular gas model puts out 360hp were the LS96 E85 capable is 322hp. What is the difference between the 2 and it was my understanding that you can make more horsepower using E85?
Can the L96 be fitted with 11-1 pistons? And if so, what would you figure HP to be?
i have a 2010 with orginally a 5.3 in it im wanting to put a 6.0 in to get rid of the afm/dod but not sure which one will fit anyone know?
Hello Braden, in terms of sheer size, all LS blocks share similar external dimensions. So, physically speaking, if your car or truck came with an LS engine, then another engine from the LS family *should* fit. And we say “should” there, because you’ve got to take into account things like intake design, supercharger, accessory drives, etc.
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If you’re thinking about undertaking an LS swap, we highly recommend contacting the Summit Racing tech department here. They’ll walk you through the swap and perhaps explain some of the things you’ll need to consider before you begin. Good luck!